Aston Villa edging closer to re-signing academy graduate Jaden Philogene

The 22-year-old underwent a medical at Bodymoor Heath yesterday ahead of sealing his return just 11 months after leaving for Hull in a £5million transfer.

Villa moved to trigger a matching clause included in that deal after Ipswich last week bid £18m for Philogene, who scored 12 Championship goals last season.

Unai Emery has been eager to bring him back to the Midlands and Villa will pay around £13.5m to do so, due to a 30 per cent sell-on clause which was also part of last summer’s transfer agreement with the Tigers.

Philogene will become Villa’s sixth signing of the transfer window, with midfielder Amadou Onana expected to be the seventh in a club record deal. The 22-year-old is due to undergo a medical when he returns from holiday ahead of a £50m move from Everton.

Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, meanwhile, could become the latest player to leave Villa with talks ongoing with Celtic over a possible sale.

The Finland international, who joined Villa’s academy in 2018 aged 16, was touted as a target for the Scottish giants earlier this year and a deal is close.

Sinisalo, capped three times by his country, spent last season on loan with Exeter in League One but is behind Emi Martinez, Robin Olsen and Joe Gauci in the pecking order at Villa.